Techniques including url recognition and applications

ABSTRACT

Methods are systems are provided that include obtaining a digital image from a digital photograph, such as may be taken by a digital camera or a camera phone. The digital image includes, for example, a URI or URL, which may be contained within a visible frame. A character recognition technique, such as an optical character recognition technique, may be used to recognize the URI or URL from the digital image. The URI or URL may be used to access a corresponding Web page. The character recognition technique may be applied on the digital camera or cell phone itself, or remotely.

PRIORITY INFORMATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/017,464,filed on Jan. 31, 2011, entitled, “TECHNIQUES INCLUDING URL RECOGNITIONAND APPLICATIONS”, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

BACKGROUND

Use of codes, such as codes that may be scanned or digitallyphotographed and may be used to access information or resources,including use of QR codes, among other techniques, have becomeincreasingly possible and popular. For example, a cell phone or smartphone user may use the phone to obtain a digital image of a QR code. TheQR code may be decoded to indicate a Web page, for example, that theuser may then access. However, QR code usage, and other techniques, maybe subject to various disadvantages.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods thatinclude obtaining a digital image from a digital photograph, such as maybe taken by a digital camera or a camera phone. The digital image mayinclude a URI, such as a URL, or other alphanumeric information, whichmay be contained within a visible frame. A character recognitiontechnique, such as an optical character recognition technique, may beused to recognize the URI or URL from the digital image. The URI or URLmay be used to access a corresponding Web page. The characterrecognition technique may be applied on or using the digital camera orcell phone itself, or remotely.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a distributed computer system according to one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to oneembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the invention.

While the invention is described with reference to the above drawings,the drawings are intended to be illustrative, and the inventioncontemplates other embodiments within the spirit of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a distributed computer system 100 according to one embodimentof the invention. The system 100 includes user computers or otherdevices, including cell phones, etc. 104, advertiser computers 106 andserver computers 108, all coupled or able to be coupled to the Internet102. Although the Internet 102 is depicted, the invention contemplatesother embodiments in which the Internet is not included, as well asembodiments in which other networks are included in addition to theInternet, including one more wireless networks, WANs, LANs, telephone,cell phone, or other data networks, etc. The invention furthercontemplates embodiments in which user computers or other computers maybe or include wireless, portable, or handheld devices such as cellphones, PDAs, etc.

Each of the one or more computers (or other devices such as cell phones,smart phones, cameras, camera phones, etc.) 104, 106, 108 may bedistributed, and can include various hardware, software, applications,algorithms, programs and tools. Depicted computers may also include ahard drive, monitor, keyboard, pointing or selecting device, etc. Thecomputers may operate using an operating system such as Windows byMicrosoft, etc. Each computer may include a central processing unit(CPU), data storage device, and various amounts of memory including RAMand ROM. Depicted computers may also include various programming,applications, algorithms and software to enable searching, searchresults, and advertising, such as graphical or banner advertising aswell as keyword searching and advertising in a sponsored search context.Many types of advertisements are contemplated, including textualadvertisements, rich advertisements, video advertisements, etc.

As depicted, each of the server computers 108 includes one or more CPUs110 and a data storage device 112. The data storage device 112 includesa database 116 and a Recognition and Applications Program 114.

The Program 114 is intended to broadly include all programming,applications, algorithms, software and other and tools necessary toimplement or facilitate methods and systems according to embodiments ofthe invention. The elements of the Program 114 may exist on a singleserver computer or be distributed among multiple computers or devices.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 200 according to oneembodiment of the invention. At step 202, using one or more computers,digital image information is obtained, in which the digital imageinformation corresponds to a digital image, and in which the digitalimage is from a digital photograph taken by a portable electronicdevice.

At step 204, using one or more computers, utilizing one or morecharacter recognition techniques, a URI or URL included within thedigital image is determined. In other embodiments, an alphabetical,numerical, alphanumerical, or other symbol-based item or string may bedetermined, which may not be a URI or URL.

At step 206, the URI or URL is wirelessly transmitted to the portableelectronic device.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 300 according to oneembodiment of the invention. At step 302, on an Internet-enabledportable electronic device, digital image information is obtained, inwhich the digital image information corresponds to a digital image, andin which the digital image relates to a digital photograph.

At step 304, using one or more computers or computerized devices,utilizing one or more character recognition techniques, a URI or URLincluded within the digital image is determined.

At step 306, on the Internet-enabled portable electronic device,utilizing the URI or URL, a Web page corresponding to the URI or URL isaccessed, such as by using a browser on the device.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram 400 illustrating one embodiment of theinvention. At step 402, a digital photograph or scan is taken, by adevice, of an object (newspaper, screen, etc.) including acceptable URLimage. In various embodiments, different qualities may be necessary fora URL image to be acceptable. In some embodiments, any URL that issatisfactorily recognizable to obtain a URI or URL is acceptable. Forexample, in some embodiments, the URL image must be of sufficientquality or resolution, or the angle must be sufficiently minimal, or theletters must be of a certain size or type, etc. Furthermore, in someembodiments, the URI or URL is contained within a visible frame, such aswithin lines forming a rectangle. The frame may appear on the objectitself so as to be included on an image, or may be applied to the imageafter being taken or scanned, automatically or by a user, for example.Such a frame may enhance or optimize recognizability, which can includedetermining the location of the URL on an image, as well as interpretingletters, etc. In some embodiments, such a frame is necessary foracceptability, while in some embodiments it is not. Furthermore, in someembodiments, other visual cues or marks may be included, on an object orimage, to aid in, enhance, or allow recognizability.

In some embodiments, an application is used on the photographing device,to implement or facilitate inventive methods. For example, in someembodiments, a cell phone application is opened, and the photograph istaken using the application. The application may then support characterrecognition, or sending for remote character recognition and receiving aURL. The application may then further be used in connecting to the Webpage, storing the URL, etc. The application may also be used in variousother ways, such as aiding in, enhancing, or optimizing recognizabilityof the image. For example, the application may alter, modify, ornormalize the image, or any of various qualities or characteristics ofthe image, before character recognition is applied. This could include,for example, centering, changing or normalizing the angle at which thesurface or URL portion appears, etc. It could also include taking awayfrom the image, such as removing potentially confusing background orobscurities of the URL. It could further include adding to the image,such as by visibly boxing, circling, otherwise enclosing, or otherwiseshading, marking or identifying the location of the URI or URL.Furthermore, in some embodiments, the user may take steps to enhancerecognizability, such as by ensuring good photographing conditions orangle, etc. Still further, the user may alter, enhance or modify theimage, such as by marking the image to identify the URL portion, priorto character recognition. An application may or may not be of use inthese various regards. Furthermore, an application may provide cues tothe user prior to taking the photograph, such as by alerting the user topoor or inadequate conditions for character recognition, such asdistance, angle, URL size or clarity, etc.

Various sophisticated character recognition techniques may be utilizedin embodiments of the invention, and may include machine learningtechniques or models, for example.

At step 404, the method 400 queries whether URL recognition is to beperformed on the device or remotely. If on the device, then the method400 proceeds to step 406, where, on the device, one or more characterrecognition techniques are applied to the digital image from thephotograph to obtain a URL. If remotely, then, at step 408, the imagefrom the photograph is sent to one or more remote computers, characterrecognition is performed on the image (which can include or mean aportion of the image) to obtain a URL, and the URL is sent to the device(or another device or devices).

At step 410, using the device (or another device), the URL used toaccess a Web resource such as a Web page.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram 500 illustrating one embodiment of theinvention. A user 502 is depicted, who uses a camera phone 504 (a cellphone with a camera) including a digital camera 505 to take a pictureof, or to scan, a portion of a newspaper 506 (or another object or thingsuch as a magazine, display or computer screen, side of a bus, etc.)including a visibly framed URL 507 (although, in some embodiments, theURL is not framed) to produce a digital image 508.

Following this, two different possible courses are depicted, althoughothers are also contemplated. One possible course is depicted by block510, at which one or more character recognition techniques are appliedusing the camera phone to obtain a URL.

Another possible course id depicted by block 512. At block 512, theimage is sent, such as by being wireless sent by the camera phone overthe Internet or one or more other phone, wireless, or other networks, toone or more remote computers, one or more character recognitiontechniques are applied, such as using at least one of the computers, anda resulting URL is sent, such as wirelessly sent, to the camera phone(or another device).

At block 514, the URL is used to access the associated Web resource orWeb page, such as using the camera phone.

Some embodiments of the invention include using a device such as a cellphone or camera phone to scan or take a picture of an object including aURI or URL. In addition to various objects such as newspapers,magazines, and various other indoor or outdoor objects, in someembodiments, a picture can taken of, for example, a computer monitor orother display screen (or even a non-physical image). For example, insome embodiments, a user can take a picture of a URL appearing on acomputer screen, to be able to access the Web page from the user's cellphone or other device, immediately or later, without the potentiallycumbersome task of typing in the Web page or sending it to the user'sdevice by email or text, etc.

Character recognition can then be used on the cell phone itself, orremotely, to recognize the URI or URL from the image, so that it can beused to access a Web resource such as a Web page. As described above,various standards or techniques can be applied or utilized with the URIor URL (or other string, Web-related or otherwise, etc.) appearing onthe object, to facilitate or ease character recognition, such as framingor otherwise marking a URI, URL, or string-containing portion, applyingstandards of clarity or other qualities to the URI or URL, etc.Furthermore, standards or requirements can be applied to the picture aswell, such as being of sufficient clarity, or containing a sufficientlyclear or large URI or URL, being taken at a specified range or maximumangle, etc.

If done remotely, powerful remote computers can be used to perform thecharacter recognition. For example, in some embodiments, an Internetservice provider providing Internet access for the cell phone may alsoprovide the character recognition service or related services.

Some embodiments of the invention, for example, can provide a moreconvenient, simpler, more direct, or more user-friendly technique thanQR code techniques. For example, acceptable URIs or URLs may be easierand simpler to generate than QR codes. Furthermore, QR code techniquesmay utilize various potentially difficult and annoying standards,software, applications, etc. while techniques according to someembodiments may be less complicated in this or other regards.Furthermore, directly displayed URLs or URLs are immediatelyunderstandable to the eye, whereas QR codes are not.

Although described primarily with regard to URLs and URLs, in someembodiments, the image could include characters, such as alphabetical,numerical or alphanumerical text, other than URLs or URIs. Thecharacters from the image could be recognized, either on thephotographing device or remotely, and used for various purposes.

Some embodiments of the invention provide various opportunities foradvertisers and advertising. For example, the URL or URI could relate toa Web page containing one or more advertisements, or accessing the Webpage could trigger or provide opportunities to serve advertisements.Alternatively, in some embodiments, advertising could be provided inconnection with, or acceptance of advertising could be a condition of,utilizing a character recognition service or related services oractions. In some embodiments, the characters themselves could be orinclude an advertisement, coupon, offer, etc.

While the invention is described with reference to the above drawings,the drawings are intended to be illustrative, and the inventioncontemplates other embodiments within the spirit of the invention.

1. A method comprising: using one or more computers, obtaining digitalimage information, wherein the digital image information corresponds toa digital image, and wherein the digital image corresponds to an imageon an object, surface or screen; using one or more computers, utilizingone or more character recognition techniques, determining a URI or URLincluded within the digital image, wherein one or more markings areincluded, on the image on the object, the surface or the screen, tofacilitate or ease character recognition; and wirelessly transmittingthe URI or URL to the portable electronic device.
 2. The method of claim1, comprising obtaining digital image information, wherein the digitalimage is from a digital photograph taken by a portable electronicdevice.
 3. The method of claim 1, comprising obtaining digital imageinformation, wherein the digital image is from a digital photograph,taken by a portable electronic device, of, or including, the image onthe object, the surface or the screen.
 4. The method of claim 1,comprising utilizing one or more character recognition techniques,determining a URI or URL included within the digital image, wherein oneor more markings are included, on the image on the object, the surfaceor the screen, to facilitate or ease character recognition, and whereinthe one or more markings comprise URI or URL framing.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, comprising obtaining digital image information, wherein thedigital image information corresponds to a digital image, and whereinthe digital image corresponds to an image on an object.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, comprising obtaining digital image information, wherein thedigital image information corresponds to a digital image, and whereinthe digital image corresponds to an image on a newspaper or a magazine.7. The method of claim 1, comprising obtaining digital imageinformation, wherein the digital image information corresponds to adigital image, and wherein the digital image corresponds to an image ona computer screen.
 8. The method of claim 1, comprising obtainingdigital image information, wherein the digital image is from a digitalphotograph, taken by a portable electronic device of a user, and whereinthe URI or the URL is used by the user to access a Web pagecorresponding to the URI or the URL, and wherein the Web page includesan advertisement.
 9. The method of claim 1, comprising obtaining digitalimage information, wherein the digital image is from a digitalphotograph, taken by a portable electronic device of a user, and whereinthe URI or the URL is used by the user to access a Web pagecorresponding to the URI or the URL, and wherein the Web page includes acoupon or an offer.
 10. The method of claim 1, comprising obtainingdigital image information, wherein the digital image is from a digitalphotograph, taken by a portable electronic device of a user, the URI orthe URL is used by the user to access a Web page corresponding to theURI or the URL, and wherein the Web page includes an advertisement, andwherein the advertisement is provided in connection with utilizing acharacter recognition service.
 11. The method of claim 1, comprisingobtaining digital image information, wherein the digital image is from adigital photograph, taken by a portable electronic device of a user, theURI or the URL is used by the user to access a Web page corresponding tothe URI or the URL, and wherein the Web page includes an advertisement,and wherein acceptance of advertising is a condition of utilizing acharacter recognition service.
 12. The method of claim 1, comprisingobtaining digital image information, wherein the digital image is from adigital photograph, taken by a portable electronic device of a userutilizing an application provided via the portable electronic device.13. The method of claim 1, comprising obtaining digital imageinformation, wherein the digital image is from a digital photograph,taken by a portable electronic device of a user utilizing an applicationprovided via the portable electronic device, and wherein the applicationis used in optimizing recognizability of the URI or the URL beforecharacter recognition is applied.
 14. The method of claim 1, comprisingobtaining digital image information, wherein the digital image is from adigital photograph, taken by a portable electronic device of a userutilizing an application provided on the portable electronic device, andcomprising, utilizing one or more character recognition techniques,determining a URI or URL included within the digital image, wherein theone or more character recognition techniques are applied at least inpart by the portable electronic device.
 15. The method of claim 1,comprising obtaining digital image information, wherein the digitalimage is from a digital photograph, taken by a portable electronicdevice of a user utilizing an application provided on the portableelectronic device, and comprising, utilizing one or more characterrecognition techniques, determining a URI or URL included within thedigital image, wherein the one or more character recognition techniquesare applied at least in part remotely from the portable electronicdevice.
 16. A system comprising: one or more server computers coupled toa network; and one or more databases coupled to the one or more servercomputers; wherein the one or more server computers are for: obtainingdigital image information, wherein the digital image informationcorresponds to a digital image, and wherein the digital imagecorresponds to an image on an object, surface or screen; utilizing oneor more character recognition techniques, determining a URI or URLincluded within the digital image, wherein one or more markings areincluded, on the image on the object, the surface or the screen, tofacilitate or ease character recognition; and wirelessly transmittingthe URI or URL to the portable electronic device.
 17. The system ofclaim 16, comprising obtaining digital image information, wherein thedigital image is from a digital photograph taken by a portableelectronic device.
 18. The system of claim 16, comprising obtainingdigital image information, wherein the wherein the digital image is froma digital photograph, taken by a portable electronic device, of, orincluding, the image on the object, the surface or the screen.
 19. Thesystem of claim 16, comprising utilizing one or more characterrecognition techniques, determining a URI or URL included within thedigital image, wherein one or more markings are included, on the imageon the object, the surface or the screen, to facilitate or easecharacter recognition, and wherein the one or more markings comprise URIor URL framing.
 20. A computer readable medium or media containinginstructions for executing a method comprising: using one or morecomputers, obtaining digital image information, wherein the digitalimage information corresponds to a digital image, and wherein thedigital image corresponds to an image on an object, surface or screen;using one or more computers, utilizing one or more character recognitiontechniques, determining a URI or URL included within the digital image,wherein one or more markings are included, on the image on the object,the surface or the screen, to facilitate or ease character recognition,and wherein the one or more markings include URI or URL framing; andwirelessly transmitting the URI or URL to the portable electronicdevice.